401(k) Calculator

NerdWallet’s 401(k) calculator estimates what your 401(k) balance will be at retirement by factoring in your contributions, employer matching dollars, your expected retirement age and the growth of your investments. New to 401(k)s? Learn the basics with our 401(k) guide.

Your current 401(k)

How old are you?

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What is your income before taxes?

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Today’s income can help predict how much income you’ll need in retirement.

How much have you already saved in your 401(k) account?

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Include accounts with previous employers as well as the balance of your current 401(k), if you have one.

401(k) Calculator

NerdWallet’s 401(k) calculator estimates what your 401(k) balance will be at retirement by factoring in your contributions, employer matching dollars, your expected retirement age and the growth of your investments. New to 401(k)s? Learn the basics with our 401(k) guide.

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Your age

Your income

Your current 401(k)

How old are you?

Nerdy insight

401(k) Calculator

NerdWallet’s 401(k) calculator estimates what your 401(k) balance will be at retirement by factoring in your contributions, employer matching dollars, your expected retirement age and the growth of your investments. New to 401(k)s? Learn the basics with our 401(k) guide.

Limit on matching contributions

Retirement age

Rate of return

Marital Status

Type of 401(k)

Annual catch-up contributions

Life expectancy

Include 401(k) fees

Total 401(k) fees

Your 401(k) is just part of the retirement picture

A 401(k) makes saving for retirement easy, since the money is taken out of your paycheck. But your investment choices may be limited, and some plans carry high fees.

For a better path to prepare for retirement, follow these steps:

1. Get your free money. If your employer matches any portion of the money you contribute to a 401(k), direct your first savings dollars into that account, at least until you receive the full match. If your plan doesn’t offer matching contributions, start with the next step.

2. Contribute to an IRA. Individual retirement accounts are designed for building retirement savings, offering tax advantages and growth potential unmatched by regular savings accounts as well as a greater choice of investments than many 401(k)s have. The two main types are Roth and traditional, and you can contribute up to $6,000 to an IRA each year (or $7,000 if you’re 50 or older).

3. If you max out the IRA, turn back to your 401(k) and continue making contributions there up to the $19,500 annual limit.

We can point you toward the best accounts, forecast how much money you’ll need to retire, help you build a personalized savings plan and show you ways to eliminate hidden fees or earn more interest.

What is a 401(k)?

A 401(k) is a retirement plan offered by some employers. These plans allow you to contribute directly from your paycheck, so they’re an easy and effective way to save and invest for retirement. There are two main types of 401(k)s:

A traditional 401(k): This is the most common type of 401(k). Your contributions are made pre-tax, and they and your investment earnings grow tax-deferred. You’ll be taxed on distributions in retirement.

A Roth 401(k): About half of employers who offer a 401(k) offer this variation. Your contributions are made after taxes, but distributions in retirement are not taxed as income. That means your investment earnings grow federally tax-free.

Why should I use one?

Matching dollars, for one thing. Over 90% of employers that offer a 401(k) plan also kick in a matching contribution, which means as you contribute, your employer will, too. Commonly, that match will be worth 50% to 100% of your contributions, up to a limit that typically falls between 3% and 6% of your annual income. If your employer offers up this free money, you need to do everything you can to contribute enough to take advantage of it.

The other huge benefit of the 401(k) is that it allows you to put a lot of money away for retirement in a tax-advantaged way. The annual contribution limit is $19,500 for tax year 2020, with an extra $6,500 allowed as a catch-up contribution every year for participants age 50 or older.

What kind of investments are in a 401(k)?

401(k)s often offer a small, curated selection of mutual funds. That’s a good thing and a bad thing: On the plus side, you may have access to lower-cost versions of those specific funds, especially at very large companies that qualify for reduced pricing.

The negative is that even with discounted costs, that small selection narrows your investment options, and some of the funds offered may still have higher expense ratios than what you’d pay if you could shop among a longer list of options. That can make it harder to build a low-cost, diversified portfolio.

Some plans also charge administrative fees on top of fund expenses, which can add up. If your 401(k) is expensive, contribute enough to earn your matching dollars, and then direct any additional retirement savings contributions for the year into an IRA.

Anything else I should know?

Yep. A few things, actually.

Once you contribute to a 401(k), you should consider that money locked up for retirement. In general, distributions prior to age 59½ will be hit with a 10% penalty and income taxes.

If you leave a job, you can roll your 401(k) into an IRA at an online brokerage or robo-advisor. This can give you more control over your account and allow you to access a larger investment selection.

401(k)s typically force you to begin taking distributions — called required minimum distributions, or RMDs — at age 70½ or when you retire, whichever is later. You may be able to roll a Roth 401(k) into a Roth IRA to avoid RMDs.

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